“These are our lands”: Maroons Fight Mining in Jamaica

Last year, Alzo Slade took us to Jamaica, where residents are fighting against mining in the most ecologically sensitive part of the island: Cockpit Country. The Maroons who live there, descendants of indigenous people and formerly enslaved Africans who joined together to fight British colonizers, say mining would destroy their way of life.

But this year, the government gave the go-ahead to start mining in Cockpit Country. And the Maroons have filed a lawsuit against the Jamaican government, trying not only to stop the mining, but also to finally get recognition of their sovereignty. This week, we’re re-airing last year’s episode with an update about the latest court battle.

This episode was produced by Jen Kinney. Special thanks to Eric Weinrib, Andrea Davis and Patricio Matos who produced and reported a version of this story for VICE News. You can watch their film at Vice.com, or on Youtube. 

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